


Over Republic City

by half_sleeping



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Ficlets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-12
Updated: 2012-05-23
Packaged: 2017-11-03 12:47:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 6,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/381498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/half_sleeping/pseuds/half_sleeping
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ficlet collection:</p><p>Korra, and meditation's unexpected benefits.</p><p>This is just sort of Mako's life now.</p><p>Seriously, it is.</p><p>7: Be desperate.</p><p>9: Mako will always regret saying he would read over Bolin's work anytime.</p><p>11: 5 things that happened after Asami knocked Korra down with her moped; AU of episode 4.</p><p>12: Spar: Earth</p><p>13: Spar: Non (Ep 7 spoilers)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“What is that crazy girl doing?” growled Toza. “Aren’t you three supposed to be practicing? This gym isn’t for you to sit around in the dark and moon in, you know!”

Mako and Bolin exhanged glances. Those kids really never stopped being nothing but trouble, no matter how much they grew up and insisted they were doing fine on their own. It was Bolin who finally spoke up, as always.

“Well y’see,” he said. “Korra was basically wiping our asses-“

“Cause she’s a waterbender and it’s full moon,” growled Toza. “I got eyes. I’m a waterbender. It ain’t sato-science.”

“And so she started meditating while we took a break and when we finished, she was still here and…” Bolin trailed off.

“And what,” Toza said.

“I can see the moon,” said Korra, softly. She’d positioned herself out of the way, under the window, facing out away from Air Temple island. The white light of the full moon streamed through onto her- which _was_ weird, now that Toza thought about it. The light that came through that window was usually orange, from flame and lamps. “She’s beautiful.”

A shiver shimmied up Toza’s spine, despite himself. “The moon- that old story? That’s-“

“The moon?” said Mako, focusing on the Avatar. He had great focus, that kid. It was what made him such a good pro-bender in the ring, and such a pain in the arse outside it. “You mean, the story of the Northern Water Tribe Princess who-“

“Princess _YUE_ ,” said Bolin. “Yeah, yeah, I remember! Remember Toza, you told us, that story, when we were kids!” He sighed. “Man, I loved that story. Hot girl in the sky, excellent.”

“You still look like kids to me,” growled Toza, but looking at Korra, he felt, really felt, for the first time, that this girl who’d come out of nowhere was the _Avatar_ , this girl who could see the goddess in the moon.

“Princess Yue,” repeated Korra, and the white light around her swelled and shone. She closed her eyes, and maybe all three of them would have said that the moon’s light was someone’s white hair, pooling around her, and that a hand brushed her face, soft and gentle as a kiss.

Then she opened her eyes and the light coming in through the window was just the light of the street outside again, the golden glow of the arena. She blinked. “Hey,” she demanded. “Is practice over already? I wasn’t done kicking you two around the gym yet!”

To the sound of the kids beginning to bicker like- well, kids, Toza looked out at the moon and scratched his head. The girl in the moon was maybe a little clearer tonight, as though she had turned her face towards Republic City.


	2. Chapter 2

Asami bodily drags Mako up the last few steps and dumps him into a seat. He lets her, because she threatens that if he tries to get up and go down there again, she’ll sit in his lap to keep him from going and then he’ll never hear the end of it and Korra and Bolin will laugh and someone _will_ get a picture and it _will_ be front page news and overall, it’s just sort of better not to push her on this.

Plus, he hurts all over. The waterbender healer Korra found from somewhere had done a really good job, but the Equalist offshoots had done a better one.

“You’re lucky you’re still going to be _walking_ after today,” says Asami severely, as if she isn’t nursing some lovely injuries herself. “If you go out there now, not only will you guys lose the match, you may never pro-bend again.”

“I know,” says Mako, and he does know. It’s not that he wouldn’t do it again, but why does it always have to be before important matches?

Korra walks out and she’s adjusting Mako’s helmet to her hair, the red stripe prominent.

“Korra’s firebending,” says Asami, amazed, and Mako groans. It isn’t like Korra isn’t an _excellent_ firebender, or that she seems to soak up Mako’s style like a sponge, but this means that- well, the broadcasters are going to have to be a field day.

The broadcasters love Korra, and will fight to announce a Fire Ferrets match. Correspondingly, the referees hate her, but that's just sort of how it goes.

“Is she _allowed_ to do that?” says Asami.

She is, apparently, on the will of the crowd if nothing else. Sato Industries’ mark is on the Fire Ferrets uniform. The Fire Ferrets are famous. The _Avatar_ is bending. The referees _hate_ her.

"AND TODAY WE HAVE THE AVATAR FIREBENDING, MAKO'S KNOCKED OUT BY AN INJURY HE WILL BE MISSED FOLKS AND THE FIRE FERRETS HAVE BROUGHT ON YET ANOTHER REPLACEMENT WATERBENDER WHO IS- IS- AM I SEEING THIS RIGHT LADIES AND GENTLEMEN THE FIRE FERRETS HAVE BROUGHT ON AN OLD LADY TO WATERBEND FOR THEM I CAN'T SAY I THINK THIS IS THE BEST OF IDEAS BUT THE FIRE FERRETS MUST BE DESPERATE AND-“

"Hey," says Asami, squinting at the ring. "Isn't that the healer who did our-"

It is, Mako knows without having to look, because that's his life now. It just is. Bolin and Korra are done in already from all they've done today. They can bend, but barely. It would have been better to forfeit, but Korra will never give up anything if she can help it, even when she should.

Then the bell goes and the other team goes straight for the old lady all at once, one quick strike and spirits Mako hopes that hitting the water won't break her hip-

The crack of two of the other team bouncing off the ropes into the water is drowned out by the announcer's roar: “JUST IN JUST IN FOLKS GIVE IT UP FOR GRANDMASTER KATARA PLAYING IN A PROBENDING MATCH FOR THE FIRE FERRETS-“

And the crowd goes _wild_.


	3. Chapter 3

“Well,” said Bolin, settling himself comfortably on the seat. “You can’t say you didn’t see this coming.”

“Yes,” said Mako. “I foresaw that the Avatar would descend upon us and adopt us as her pro-bending team, and then that this would jump start our ascent to the glitterati and a life of glamour and intrigue. How silly of me. Of course I should have seen this coming.”

“Not _that_ ,” said Bolin. “I mean, not this really sweet private box, but pretty much our ascent, it comes with being as good as we are! I meant you should have seen _that_ coming.”

“Oh,” said Mako dully. “You mean the Avatar and the heir to the biggest fortune in the city having a race between a motorbike and a polarbear-dog. Yes.”

“Go Korra!” yelled Bolin. “Go Asami!”

“I can’t believe they’re doing this,” Mako said.

“So you’ve said,” said Bolin. “Go both of you! Non-specific whoo!” He elbowed Mako. “You cheer too, Mako!”

Their heads were tipped up expectantly. “Judge well, Mako!” called Korra up to the box. "OR ELSE."

“Isn’t _he_ supposed to be judging?” yelled Mako down to her.

“He can’t even pick which one of us to cheer for!” yelled Korra.

“I have a lot of love to give,” yelled Bolin.

“Why are we arguing when we could be racing?” contributed Asami.

“I judge you’re both crazy,” Mako said to them. The girls tipped back their heads and laughed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sequel to Ficlet 2.

“I’m pretty sure that actually was cheating,” said Mako to them later, after a stupendous win, lying on the floor of the gym complaining they’re dying as they stretch out.

“No!” said Korra. “Well, maybe a little,” she admitted, colouring under their disbelieving stares. “But Katara’s eighty! They shouldn’t have been the ones to allow her to join us.”

“And they all went for her all at once,” said Bolin, indignantly. “All at once! What if she’d been a normal old lady, then what?”

“I’d probably hurt a lot more,” said Asami, wincing as she pulled her arms over her head. “Thank you for the healing, Master Katara. I’m sorry we were in such a rush before.”

Katara smiled. It was a little hard to believe that this little old lady is _the_ Master Katara, but not that hard. Mako was pretty sure he’d remember the exact arc the opposing team’s firebender’s body had inscribed through the air for the rest of his life. “No, no,” she said. “I should be thanking you, I heard you’ve all been a great help to my grandchildren and to Korra.”

“And thanks for stepping up, too,” said Korra. “We might have lost without you.”

“Might?” said Mako.

“ _Might_ ,” said Korra, mulishly.

“Sure,” said Mako. “Sure.”

She glared. “Anyway, all’s well that ends well,” she said. “You did really well, Katara, I didn’t get the hang of probending until the second round.”

 _Third_ , Bolin mouthed to Asami, who stifled a giggle. If that hadn’t been Korra being unusually modest, Mako would have smirked, and let her see it. As it was, he just watched Katara cast a helplessly fond look at Korra, and wondered if the Avatar thing ever got weird for either of them.

“We’ve been reading about your matches,” said Katara. “They’re very exciting.”

Korra beamed and launched into a long and complicated explanation about how certain forms had to be modified for pro-bending, and Mako thought, no, it probably didn’t get weird. There was too much love there for that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This requires a little background knowledge. As has been noted, Dante Basco is returning on Korra, and he has a famously 'boyish' voice and his character will be related to Zuko in some way, and this is making me think that JUST POSSIBLY, Korra will cross paths with...a Fire Nation prince at some point. Who will look exactly like Zuko, because hilarious, and act completely unlike Zuko, because hilarious. I named him Izu. He would....interact pretty well with the Krew, I think. He's not like any of them and would be an interesting way to show how the Fire Nation has also changed over the timeskip.

“Do y’know,” said Bolin. “I’m pret- _ty_ sure I’ve seen that guy before. Or someone like him. Somewhere.”

“That’s helpful,” said Mako, and tried not to look like he was glaring at the guy talking to Korra like an excited puppy. He was almost certainly a firebender, and rich, what with his clothes and hairstyle and his golden eyes and fair skin. _From_ the Fire Nation, which wasn’t unusual. Travellers came and went in Republic City all the time. Fire Nation nobility was big on the Grand Tour, where they sent their babies off to see the continent with buckets of money, in the spirit of the belief that travel enlarged the mind.

“Maybe a picture of him? Maybe the newspaper. Hmm. Maybe a book.”

“He looks like a firebender,” said Mako. “I’m sure we all look alike to you earthbenders.” Was he asking for her _autograph_? Korra was going to be insufferable for the rest of the day.

Bolin waved that bit of sarcasm away. “No, no. I mean, he’s got the _Fire Nation_ look, but somehow it’s even more… _Fire Nation_. D’ya get what I mean, bro?”

The stranger was bowing to Korra- wow, what century did he think this was- and gold glinted from the crown on his topknot.

Mako’s jaw clenched so hard he felt pretty sure his teeth cracked.

“Hey, guys,” said Korra, turning around, and smirking. “This is Izu! He’s a Fire Nation prince.”

“Oooo,” said Bolin. “I knew it!”

“No you didn’t,” said Mako.

“You’re the Fire Ferrets,” the prince said, and was- was he _starry-eyed_?- “I’m so pleased to meet you!”

“Hey!” said Bolin, willingly shaking hands. “I’m Bolin and this is Mako. What brings you to Republic City, your highness?”

He blinked, and smiled widely. “Why- the Avatar, of course! I had to meet her.” He cast a look at Korra sideways through offensively long eyelashes. “I’ve always wanted to.”

“Of course you have,” said Mako.

“Of course he has,” said Korra, and now both she and Bolin were giving him the _we’ve trained you better than this Mako_ look. Mako obediently stuck out his hand to the _Prince of the Fire Nation_.

He was still looking at Korra, and said, “I always thought it would be fate, meeting you, Korra.”

Mako couldn’t help it rolling his eyes.

.0.

“You should have heard him all the way here,” said Bumi. “Uncle Bumi, where is the Avatar? Is she still there? What if she leaves before we get there? What if she’s too busy? Are we going too slowly? I have to find the Avatar! What if she doesn’t like me? On and on and on. The boy’s obsessed.”

“Korra is an exceptional girl,” said Tenzin diplomatically. “But she needs to _train_ , Brother, and I don’t think that involves shepherding a sight-seeing Fire Nation Prince all over Republic City.”

Bumi slapped Tenzin on the back. “All work and no play, as usual, Tenzin?” he said. “Ease up a little! If the Avatar has enough time to join a pro-bending team, she has time to pal around a little with a nice kid like Izu. And I want some time with you and the rest of your efforts to repopulate the airbenders single-handedly, so you take some time off too. How’s Lin?”

Tenzin sighed.


	6. Chapter 6

“I’m bored,” Korra said, dropping the water dumbbells with a crash.

“I’m sorry our training is too boring for the Avatar,” said Mako.

Korra wrinkled her nose. “Not training- it’s just that it’s the same thing, over and over again- I get enough of that with meditation time with Tenzin!”

“Well, okay,” said Bolin. “What do you want to do?”

Korra immediately dropped into a stance. “Let’s spar!” she said, eyes sparkling.

“Sure,” said Bolin. Mako ignored them both to continue kicking little test-flames out. If Bolin was going to indulge her, then that was on them. _He_ wasn’t going to-

“No,” said Korra, cracking her neck. “Both of you.”

“Oooh,” said Bolin. “ _That_ bored, are we? I’m up for it.” He grinned at Mako. “Whaddaya say, bro? give the Avatar a run for her money?”

Mako stretched out his leg and thought about it. “Please, Mako?” said Korra.

“Yeah, please, Mako?” said Bolin, still grinning that shit-eating grin.

“You realize,” said Mako, “She thinks she _needs_ two of us to make it a challenge.”

“Fun,” said Korra, correctly recognizing speech as capitulation, and smirked a sharp little edge. “Both of you will make it fun.”

“You gonna let her talk to us like that?” said Bolin.

Mako nodded to Korra. “Bend everything you got,” he told her. “If you miraculously discover airbending all of a sudden, feel free.”

Korra grimaced- that little airbendiing dig had gone home- and came in fast and high, fire spouting from her hands and feet in something that was _not_ the regulation one-second bursts.

It was exhilarating. It wasn’t really as though Mako didn’t find pro-bending _fun_ , but there was something about the way that Korra fought, unyielding, exacting, that woke little sparks in his brain that just never came into being during a match, sparks that said _duck here_ and _kick now_. Years of training meant that him and Bolin moved in occasion in perfect, brilliant sync.

Something in the Avatar had always known how to fight, to attack, to overwhelm. Something in Korra loved and reveled in it.

“Wonderful,” she said, when the dust was clearing and they were looking around trying to estimate how long it would take to clean up the mess.  “See? _Fun_.”


	7. Chapter 7

Katara observed Mako silently for a few minutes, sitting on a bench on the side of the gym. Mako kept working at it, ignoring her. By this point, Korra or Bolin or even Asami would have piped up with something, a comment, a comfort, a sigh or just a movement. But they were all off training, even Asami, under an equalist’s mask. Grandmaster Katara just sat there and watched him, not closely, but not idly, either. He wondered if she recognized the forms he was trying out, and if she could see that he’d never been in front of a firebending master in his life. That his firebending was smoked from the street, honed in brawls and the arena, and that he had no idea what the fuck he was doing, trying to learn how to bend lightning.

Finally Mako broke the silence. “What am I doing wrong?” he said.

“You’re asking me?” said Katara.

“You’re the only one here,” Mako bit out, then regretted it.

“Yes,” said Katara. “But I’m a waterbender.”

“You’re a master,” said Mako. “And you have-“ he paused on the word. “Experience. Of a lot of things.”

“Firebenders?” said Katara, with a little smile.

“Benders,” said Mako, and didn’t say, _Korra_ , or _War_.

“Korra would have driven herself into the ground trying to master lightning if we hadn’t convinced her that airbending came first,” said Katara. “Not that I don’t think in the fullness of time she won’t get it. Aang never did, but Aang never wanted to. Korra’s goals may change. But you want to.”

“Yes,” said Mako, and tried the first of the lightning katas again.

She studied him. “Zuko wanted to,” she said. “At different times in his life, but your temperament may be better suited to it than Zuko’s is. Was.”

“Did he want it to win the war?” asked Mako.

“Yes,” said Katara, and closed her eyes as if the memory of white heat seared across her face. “But he didn’t need it to fight. At that point in his life, I think he couldn’t have, because it wasn’t part of the person he needed to be.”

“You think we can’t either?” said Mako, and meant, _do you think I can’t, either_.

“Oh, no,” said Katara. “I’m quite certain Lin can teach your brother all he needs to know about metal-bending- well, if he can stand it. Toph hammered those lessons into her daughter, as she herself was pushed and forced into creating it. The current training takes a softer course- not much softer, mind you. But he wants to learn, and he wants to learn fast? Lin will beat him to the bone, and hope he doesn’t break.”

“Bolin’s tougher than he looks,” said Mako. Something purer than fire, cleaner. Like heat made blade.

Katara watched him for a few moves more. “An old waterbender’s opinion,” she said.  “Have you ever heard of something called bloodbending?”

“It’s an urban legend,” said Mako, automatically from years of reassuring his too-sensitive brother. “A ghost story told in the dark. No waterbender is strong enough to bend the water in your blood. Not even at full moon.”

“No,” said Katara, softly. “Only at full moon.”

Mako overbalanced, righted himself, and turned to look at a little old lady hunched over on a battered old bench staring at her hands, and knew that if anyone was strong enough, it would be her.

“Being strong isn’t enough, young man,” she said. “It isn’t enough reason, and it isn’t enough ability. You have to be desperate. You have to want it more than anything, more than yourself.”

 _Be desperate_ , Mako heard. _Be fourteen years old, and fighting a war a century old_. _Be twelve and blind, and caged like an animal_. “Would I even be _trying_ , if I wasn’t-“ he cut himself off sharply.

“Keep trying,” said Katara. “Basics are important. And-“

“And?” said Mako, when Katara didn’t finish the thought.

“And when you’ll need to,” she said. “You’ll know.”


	8. Chapter 8

“I know it’s a bit unorthodox,” said Korra, “But hear me out. I really think you can learn this way.”

“You were trained by some of the greatest masters in the world,” said Mako.

“Well, I didn’t start out that way,” said Korra. “They didn’t find me until I was five years old.”

“I read the newspaper article, yes,” said Mako. “So what?”

“So how do you think I bent until then? I had to learn by watching other people and copying them. It wasn’t the most formal of educations.”

“When you were _five_ ,” said Mako.

Korra waved this irrelevancy away. “Anyway, that’s how _I_ started out bending, by watching other people doing it and copying them. Down by the market and the port, there was always some firebender or earthbender around, practicing, they came in on the ships and did trading.”

“You were bending all three elements,” said Mako. “By watching sailors warm up. When you were _five_.”

“I haven’t gotten to the point of the story yet,” said Korra. “The point is, I wasn’t the only one copying them! There was a whole pack of us and we’d run around while our moms were shopping, and we’d all play at being benders by imitating the adults we saw.”

“Uh-huh,” said Mako.

“So when I actually _did_ start bending the element,” said Korra. “It came easier, because I was already used to the movement that was supposed to produce it! I started out just doing the movements. Form first, _then_ force. You see?”

“That…actually sort of made sense,” said Mako.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt from the meme over on lj: Bolin is a secret writer of poorly-disguised Krew adventures.

_And then Konna, her sizable chest heaving in exertion, slammed the gush of earth into the miscreant’s face. He gasped, which came out as steam on the frosty air as he was frozen safely to the wall._

_“You should be more careful,” said Pako, frowning in a forbidding fashion. His strong arms crossed across his broad chest. How could she be so reckless? What would he ever do if he lost her?_

_Konna glared at him temptously. Bosun would never be so rude as to chastise her like that. Pako’s brother was so much nicer, it was a wonder that she tolerated Pako at all. Still, he was a great firebender, which meant everything in the steamy underworld of illegal pro-bending._

“Y’know,” said Korra, “For someone who’s supposed to be such a great writer, The Wordbender is pretty sloppy.”

“Is he,” said Mako, and stared daggers at the back of Bolin’s guilty head.

“Well, look,” she said. “Konna sometimes changes from a firebender to an earthbender to a waterbender in the same _paragraph_. But she’s obviously a waterbender, or she wouldn’t be on the team. We should try the move the Water Weasels used two issues ago, between the busking at the park and the time that Masi Sako got carted off by rogue sky bison. I like the look of it.”

“I don’t think I read that issue,” said Bolin, still staring determinedly out the window. “What was it again?”

“The one where Bosun launches disks into the air for Konna to use as stepping stones while she jumps and hammers them from above,” said Korra.

“It’s reckless, ridiculous, and if not already illegal, will be in seconds,” said Mako flatly.

“That’s exactly what Pako said when Konna suggests it to him,” said Korra. “But I think she’s right and it’s worthy trying.”

“Yeah, bro,” echoed Bolin. “Definitely worth trying.” He eeped quietly as Mako’s disapproving glare swung back to him again. _Definitely_ too many references to Pako’s repressed and burning adoration for Konna in the last installment. The scene where she’d stripped to her undies to show the bruises that formed after their incredible match against the Wolf-Cats, _right in front of the brothers_ , probably also too much.

Not that Water Tribe undies were all that revealing, but she’d also pulled water from the drink to cool herself down… Man, Tahno had eaten his heart out.

“Jinora says she’s got every issue,” said Korra. “I’m working my way through. I could lend them to you two, if you want. The action is really good, even if the romance is completely unrealistic.”

“I think they’ve really got a bond,” said Bolin, injured. “I mean, all that time they spend together…that sweaty, intimate time…”

Mako coughed meaningfully. His eyes promised Bolin that if _Bending and Brothers in Republic City_ wasn’t such a runaway financial success, he would set all the manuscripts hiden in Pabu’s bed on fire.

“With his _brother_ in the room?” said Korra skeptically. “Please. Jinora says the love triangle could tear the Water Weasels apart, but I just don’t see it.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Old man Zuko giving Bolin love advice. I'll admit I wrote this entirely for the Ember Island Players reference, because: top ten episode of all time, yes.

"Sooooo..." said Bolin. "Do you- still do those life-changing field trips? Er, Mr ex-Fire Lord your majesty highness sir."

Zuko contemplated this. "I have missed those life-changing field trips," he admitted. "But it;ll have to be a short one, Bumi is watching the airship like a hawk and I'm not allowed to commandeer it any more."

"I know just the place!" said Bolin.

~~

"And then I _thought_ we'd had such fun, and we were- ARE so _perfect_ for each other, but then after the match I went up top and there she was! Kissing my brother." Bolin sighed. 

Zuko swallowed his mouthful of noodles. "That's rough, buddy," he said. "And these are really good. But I have to say, I expected this to be more on the mastery of your bending element and your concern over the menace threatening your beloved city and all you hold dear. Maybe a bit of brooding over the brutal murders of your parents by a vicious underworld. Raging at the injustice of fate that life has dealt you."

"Oh," said Bolin. "Amon? Korra will take care of that, that's Avatar stuff. And, that past stuff, well sometimes you just gotta deal with it, you know? But _Korra_ ," he said, pulling a truly magnificent face. "We're _meant to be_."

"Right," said Zuko. "Right. Have you tried...going away for a really long while, and then hoping she's still inexplicably prepared to tolerate you when you reappear?"

"I don't know how that would work," said Bolin. "But I mean, you have experience with- with- girls, right? You're old! And in that play- you and Grandmaster Katara- you know! She married Avatar Aang, how did you deal with that?"

Zuko choked on his noodles. Bolin reached over, thumped his back and tried not to think about potentially murdering the ex-Fire Lord with noodles. "Katara and I were never- that play is a totally inaccurate- I thought I _banned_ -" Zuko forced out.

"You banned it there," said Bolin. "I remember it was written on the posters. But it's really popular here, I've seen it like four times. It's so sad every time the Moon Spirit dies."

Zuko muttered something under his breath that Bolin pretended not to hear, because it didn't seem befitting royalty. At least his son-in-law paid for their meal.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5 things that happened after Asami knocked Korra down with her moped

1:

"Wow this is...kind of a fancy place, Asami," said Korra, turning to the girl, who looked prettier than ever, something Korra wasn't sure had been possible. "Really fancy."

"You don't like it?" said Asami, her eyes cast down. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to give you a better impression of me than some crazy girl on a moped and-"

"No, no," said Korra. "It's fine! It's great! It's just...fancy. You, now, you look really nice. It's very nice."

Asami sipped her tea, and smiled. "Tell me about the tournament," she said, placing her hand on Korra's. "Did you ever pro-bend before? I'm so excited."

 

2:

"Wow," said Mako, dazed. "I'm really- We're really grateful for the opportunity, Miss Sato, but how did you- possibly- hear about our- well-"

"Call me Asami," she said. "And after Korra told me all about your team's problem, I knew I had to try and do something to help, and Dad agreed with me. It's the least I can do, too, after knocking her down."

"You- knocked Korra down? With what, a truck?" said Mako, confused.

"No," Asami said, and leaned in, all huge green eyes and long dark hair. "But Mako, there is something you can do for me...."

"Anything," said Mako fervently, and in that moment, meant it.

Asami smiled. "Tell me all about Korra," she said. "Don't leave anything out."

 

3:

"Delivery from Councilman Tarrlok," said one bespectacled, weedy-looking guy, and delivered.

"Delivery from Miss Sato," said another bespectacled, much less weedier-looking guy, and put down a less large, but probably no less expensive present. Korra went for this, thanking this delivery person and turning away Tarrlok's one.

"Who's this Tarrlok guy?" said Bolin. "And- Sato? Do you mean _Asami_ Sato?"

"He's just some old guy," said Korra. "And yeah, though this is...a bit much, do you know Asami? I just met her. She's nice."

"Toza said she was looking for the Fire Ferrets," said Bolin. "Mako went to meet her or something, I don't know what for."

"Oh," said Korra. "Mako did? She's- um. She's a fan, she said. She must be a fan of you guys."

Bolin's eyes bugged out at the incredible things Korra was pulling from that gift basket: confectionaries, cosmetics, trinkets of delicate beauty, a positive plethora of handwritten notes on pink stationery. "I- I'd say she's more a fan of you."

 

3.5:

"He gave her a _what_?" said Asami.

 

4:

"Don't you like it?" said Asami, worriedly, leaving off Mako's arm to attach herself to Korra. Mako chanced a glance sideways, but Hiroshi Sato just beamed proudly in the direction of his daughter and the Avatar. Well. It was probably hard to beat  _The Avatar_. "I thought- you sounded really broken up about not playing in the tournament, so I just arranged-"

"No, no," said Korra. "Playing in the tournament, great! I mean, yeah. Um. I guess you...met the boys!"

Asami arranged her wrap, settling it around her shoulders, baring skin like cream. "I knew I had to come to the gala once I heard it was _for you_ ," she cooed. "Mako agreed to be my escort."

"Did he," said Korra, in a funny voice. "Um, I think I see Tenzin-"

Tarrlok's arm settled across Korra's shoulders, and Asami's gaze settled on Tarrlok's arm, like a snake. "Avatar Korra, just this way, if you'll excuse me Miss Sato-"

"Oh," said Asami. "Yes." And let Korra's hand slip out of her fingers, slowly, reluctantly, and stared after Korra, who only looked back once, and not at her.

5:

"Bro," said Bolin, staring at the huge flower arrangement and Asami pacing back and forth next to piles of boxes, biting her enticingly full, red lips. "Bro, help me. _Help me_. I can't compete with Asami Sato! I'm not rich and pretty! I only have my looks and my bending! What can I do!"

"It's not like that," Mako said unconvincingly. "Asami's just- she's just really into Korra- _as a bender_ , and as a friend. They're just really good friends. And Asami likes to be generous, as _we've_ seen, so if she wants to be all chummy with Korra, I say we should support it. I'm sure Korra could use more friends."

"Mako," said Bolin, very seriously. "Mako, are you _pimping Korra out_ , so that we can be sponsered for the tournament?"

"No!" said Mako, even more unconvincingly. "Look, Korra is the one who _met_ Asami and is totally of her own free will spending time with her, so you can't say-"

"Do you _have no shame_ , man!" cried Bolin, luckily avoiding catching Asami's attention through the fact that Korra had just arrived, and Asami was now nose-deep in Korra's neck. "No SOLIDARITY?"

"I just think that if we were in this situation, we would also want to...accept presents from and go on dates with a beautiful girl," said Mako. "Why do you have to be against that?"

"Does Korra even _know_ she's going on dates," said Bolin, successfully hitting upon the greatest point of worry that was now keeping Mako up nights. It was just that Asami was so... nice, and Korra was so.... Korra.

"You're not going to be the one who tells her," said Mako, firmly. "Bolin. It's up to Asami and Korra, and we're not involved in this."

Bolin threw himself dramatically onto a mat and bounced. "I can't even decide if I _want to be_ ," he said.

"Oh, you think you can't decide," muttered Mako. Asami had turned her head now, and was whispering something into Korra’s ear, conspiratorial, intimate. Her long dark curtain of hair draped over Korra’s bare arm, and Korra was laughing, shining with it, and whispering back.


	12. Chapter 12

“You know, if this is something kinky, then you only had to ask,” said Bolin, feeling the silk wrap around his eyes as Korra secured it nice and tight, then tied another length- wool, maybe? He had a fair number of scraps in his sewing kit; maybe Korra had raided it- around that, so that between them and his shut eyes he couldn’t see anything, and sound was vaguely muffled; not muffled all the way, but muffled.

“It’s something… different,” said Korra, clearly. “Oh, and take off your shoes.”

Bolin toed them off- man, it was hard to keep your balance when you couldn’t see anything, and Korra had a stance like granite, to hold him steady, her grip tightening on his bicep- and flexed his bare toes on the ground. Yup. Plain, solid ground. A little cold. Earth, earth everywhere beneath his feet.

“Different’s good,” Bolin said. “I guess. I don’t really know what’s normal about normal earthbending.” Already his hearing was coming in a little better; Korra let go of him, and paced around him, humming a little.

“Stances,” she said, and moved him, and he let her; sink his knee, move his foot, anchoring him to the ground. Adjust his placement. It felt natural, Bolin thought he could hold this position for hours, maybe, wasn’t anything hard. His toes dug into the earth; it squished.

“Now what?” he said.

“Now don’t move from the stance, but try to feel where I’m coming from,” said Korra, and something hit his hip; not hard.

“Ow,” Bolin said anyway. “Korra, I can’t dodge if you’re throwing stuff at me!”

“I’m not throwing anything,” said Korra. “It’s part of the ground. I earthbended it up. Let your toes tell you where the earth is moving.”

 _Impossible_ , Bolin wanted to say to her. _I can’t do that, no one can do that_. Maybe no one who wasn’t the Avatar, but that someone who could do it wouldn’t be him, he wasn’t this kind of bender. He was a great bender, but this wasn’t for the likes of him. But you never said _impossible_ to Korra, she squared up to you until you were tensing on the balls of your feet for the strike and when it came it would always be a hiss of _prove it_ , straight to the soul, and when it came to her maybe nothing ever would be; and Bolin didn’t want to tell his impossible girl that anything could ever not be done, by them, by him, by everyone.

The ground- the _earth_ \- rippled under his feet, and Korra was giving him an easy one; Bolin just moved his knee and pressed, lightly, against the jut.

“Just your leg, put it flat,” said Korra, and now she was holding his arms, just below the elbow, Bolin felt it through the soles of his feet as her heel struck the ground and raised another, so solid, so _sure_. “One stomp,” she said, and their feet left the ground at the same time, _stomp_ , and Bolin felt the earth fall flat around him again.

“Yeah,” Korra said, and began leading him around, one move at a time; until he was steady, then she let go; until he was moving before she warned him, then she stopped talking (and started humming); until Bolin dug in his toes once again and realised he was pressing on solid rock, and then Korra swept her leg up and threw a slab right at this face, and Bolin _knew_ this, because his hands came up and shattered it and in a single breathtaking moment he saw all the things radiating out from under him, Korra with her leg still up, form crisp and perfect, Pabu skipping over the pavement just a bit away, a Satomobile rumbling by two streets over. He fell over.

“Oh,” said Bolin when Korra laughed and untied his blindfolds, and his hands found his toe-prints in the _rock_ , like he’d set them there new-poured. “Something different. I see.”


	13. Chapter 13

Asami’s fist goes for Korra’s head and she thinks really, seriously, about why she’s here. Air Temple island, where the last of the Air Nomads live. Well. Air family lives. If anyone was to start up about firebenders killing whole families it should be them, should be Tenzin or his children, when they’re old enough to understand the wreckage of the Air Temples, the shells of what they once were. Firebenders took my family. Join the club.

Korra’s knee comes up and Asami is just light, just flexible enough to twist so that it doesn’t strike her squarely in the solar plexus, and Korra’s holding back anyway, but ow Asami’s ribs are probably going to bruise. Korra hasn’t broken a sweat yet. The breeze is nicer on the island than almost anywhere in Republic City, but Asami loves throwing open her windows and breathing _in_ the morning best, the windows in her home.

She has no home. Asami slides under Korra’s leg. Grabs the back one, pulls. Down she goes. If she’d been going faster, harder, the momentum would have carried her straight through and Asami wouldn’t have had the chance to trip her up. And _down_ comes Korra’s elbow, snapping on the back of Asami’s head, slipping on her bun of hair. Korra always moves fast, always certain, inhumanly sure. Did she plan that? Asami doesn’t know.

Asami isn’t sure. Trading blows with Korra is hard, and easy: fighting is fluid and easy and automatic; Korra is hard to figure out. When Asami thinks she’s going to dodge the punch Korra sinks down and takes the blow, forces Asami back, when she thinks that Korra is going to kick, she flips over and comes in from an entirely different direction.

When Asami had thought they were friends Korra had spied on her father, when Asami thinks that Korra will turn her mind to Equalist matters she opens up someone else’s home for them. When Asami strikes out, fast and furious, closing all the bending points up and down Korra’s arms, she smiles, and goes in for the hold.  Benders- normal benders, at least- squawk at losing their bending, even for a bit: trying uselessly over and over again like they’ve lost a limb. But Korra is anything but ordinary.

There’s that, the sense of _destiny_ that clings to Korra. She’s bigger, somehow, out here on the island. Eye-to-eye with Asami, and a thousand people in one. The Avatar will level mountains, tame seas. Carve dynasties from the rock and change the face of the earth. They’ve forgotten what it means to have the Avatar back again. Asami is beginning to realize that nothing would ever have prepared them for this, for _her_ , Korra, whose idea of consolation is draw Asami by the hand out of the house to the courtyard, and start sparring without asking.

Without having to ask.

Maybe it’s a Korra thing.

Asami hits the ground face-first, bounces. The world spins.

“There,” says Korra, breathing hard, flexing her arm. Asami half-expects her to pop out her chi points, like a too-tight shirt. “Better?”

Asami breathes. “Actually,” she says. “Yeah.”

“I’ll do your ribs when I have my bending back,” says Korra.

“Thanks,” says Asami, and means it.


	14. Chapter 14

“The kitchen is incredible,” said Mako. “All those spices, and the produce they get here from the Sky Bison! Way better than midnight pickings at the market. And since they don’t eat meat, air cooking is just so much more versatile about flavour.”

“Oh,” said Korra, chopsticks still hanging from her mouth while around her people nodded politely and Pema beamed. “That’s- um, interesting.”

“Very interesting,” Asami chimed in, and shot a quick look to Korra that did not deter the Avatar from adding, “But it’s only food.”

Mako stared at her incredulously. “Oh yeah,” he said. “Only food. You only eat like three times a day. It only goes into your body.”

Korra shrugged. “It’s _food_ ,” she said. Beside her, Bolin put his face into his bowl and inhaled his food very very quietly.

“Alright,” said Mako. “What do you like?”

“…bending?” said Korra.

“To eat,” said Mako. “I’ll make it. You’ll love it.” Asami thought about petting his arm consolingly, but decided against it. Some battles a man has to lose on his own.

“Er,” said Korra. “I don’t really care about what I eat.”

“You have to like something,” said Mako.

“I like food,” said Korra. “I just don’t- you know, get all weird over them . Like you’re doing now.”

“Mako just likes cooking,” said Asami. “I think it’s very sweet.”

“Really,” said Korra, oceans of dry meaning in that word.

“Yeah,” said Bolin. “After he came back from Quong’s, he wrote down dishes he’d memorized to try and recreate them in the attic. They were pretty good.”

Asami smiled at Mako. “Were they?” she teased. “ _I_ never got to taste any of these.”

Mako coloured. “You could have gotten the real thing any time,” he said.  “And- besides, you know, they did some really interesting things with the spices, and the textures-“

“Fancy-ass prissy food,” said Korra. “Fine, water tribe food, okay? I like water tribe food. Make that.”

“I _will_ ,” Mako said. Tenzin looked at his wife despairingly, as though to ask why he’d saddled himself with four teenagers long before any of his actual four children would be teenagers.

“I’m into my eighth month,” said Pema placidly. “If Mako likes to take some of the housework burden off my poor swollen feet, I’m not going to stop him.”


End file.
